The NBA unveiled another chunk of its 2026-27 schedule Wednesday, including the entire 2026 NBA Cup group-play slate.
The Celtics, who were drawn into Eastern Conference Group C, will play four NBA Cup games against the Chicago Bulls, Charlotte Hornets, Washington Wizards and Atlanta Hawks between Oct. 30 and Nov. 27. Just one of those — a pre-Thanksgiving matchup with No. 1 overall pick and Brockton native AJ Dybantsa in Washington — will be nationally televised:
Friday, Oct. 30 vs. Chicago (7:30 p.m. ET; NBC Sports Boston)
Friday, Nov. 6 at Charlotte (7 p.m.; NBC Sports Boston)
Tuesday, Nov. 24 at Washington (8 p.m.; NBC/Peacock)
Friday, Nov. 27 vs. Atlanta (8 p.m.; NBC Sports Boston)
The game against the Hawks will be part of a Black Friday doubleheader at TD Garden, with the Bruins hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs at 1 p.m. that afternoon.
The six NBA Cup group winners and the top second-place finisher from each conference advance to the quarterfinals, which will be held on Dec. 4 and 5. The eliminated teams will play consolation games against other non-qualifiers.
Boston was knocked out in group play last season. It has yet to advance beyond the quarterfinals since the in-season tournament debuted in 2023.
In a change from previous tournaments, which staged their semifinals and championship in Las Vegas, this year’s NBA Cup will culminate in a final at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Dec. 11.
The fabled venue, best known as the site of the game that inspired “Hoosiers,” also was Brad Stevens’ home court when the Celtics president of basketball operations was head coach at Butler.
The two Cup semifinals will, for the first time, be held at the higher-seeded teams’ home arenas on Dec. 8 and/or 9.
A total of seven Celtics regular-season dates have been announced ahead of the NBA’s full schedule release on Thursday. Boston also will visit Detroit for a rare season-opening matinee on Tuesday, Oct. 20, host the defending champion New York Knicks on Friday, Oct. 23, and welcome Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Miami Heat to TD Garden on Christmas Day.